THE HISTORY OF SOAP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22166, 20 July 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HISTORY OF SOAP

Soap in its present form has been in existence for over GOO years, Marseilles being tho recognised pentro until comparatively recently, owing to the great wealth of olive oil in tho district. Wood ash was used as a kind of " soap " many hundreds of years before then, but it was a poor substitute, and can hardly be termed a " cleanser." Vast soap-making plants have sprung up in Europe and tho U.S.A. of recent years, and many thousands of people are regularly employed in this import-

Men and nations can only be reformed in their youth; they become incorrigible as they grow old. —Rouscau.

ant industry. Several million tons of soap are manufactured every year. Tho scientific understanding of tho nature and use of olive oil, glycerine and fats of various kinds has developed tho art of soap manufacture very greatly. .It is interesting to note that Italy consumes half the quantity of soap per head that Franco does, while Great Britain uses a little more than Franco. Tho United States of America come first, closely followed by Denmark, Great Britain being a bad third on the list.